LEICESTER Tigers chief executive Peter Wheeler has admitted his club at one stage considered defecting to rugby league.

Wheeler, who provoked alarm in league circles by revealing that some of their clubs had inquired about switching codes, confessed that only a deal with the Rugby Football Union stopped Leicester joining the Super League.

"We have looked at Super League in the past, after hosting a game at our ground, and in different circumstances if we hadn't come to an agreement with the Rugby Union we may have taken that up," Wheeler said.

"Whether you are situated in Leicester with a stadium or in Wigan or St Helens with a stadium you have to look to the future and see how things are stacking up. All clubs need to make money."

Yesterday Wigan owner Dave Whelan revealed he had not ruled out a switch to union but Wheeler insists rugby league will not be swamped by its rival code.

He said: "They were a bit worried about me. I knew the feelings among some of the clubs so I'm not looking to be vindicated.

"I was not saying rugby league is going to die or move across. It will not. It has great loyalty from its supporters in the north and will continue. I don't see either code breaking down."

No club, he believes, would risk alienating support by taking such a drastic step although he believes clubs may decide to operate in both games, as Leeds do with the Rhinos in Super League and the Tykes in union.

"They would have to think it's the right thing to do and the views of the supporters would be paramount," he said.

"Rugby league clubs and players will make their own decision on what is best for them. With so much more association between the clubs, players, coaches and styles of play being similar, things will always happen.

"They can move quickly but nothing will move without the loyalty of the fans, both corporately or in terms of their attitude to their games."

The former England hooker believes the future looks brighter for union following last week's announcement of an eight-year strategic plan for the game which brings the RFU and the clubs together after years of wrangling since the sport went professional in 1995.

"Union has had its ups and downs for the last three or four years when clubs could have gone out of business but that wouldn't be the end of union," Wheeler said.

"Our international matches get much more exposure, while in the north rugby league clubs have a much higher profile.

"Our new eight-year agreement has given us stability for that time and the opportunity to plan ahead.

"We have been living hand to mouth, trying to exist, but we are now in a much better position to develop our facilities and academies."

Leicester already have one successful convert to their ranks following the cross-code switch of dreadlocked Samoan star Freddie Tuilagi last season.